Dominant one-two-three for Mitsubishi Motors; Third
consecutive victory for the Japanese manufacturer; Fifth one-two-three
for Mitsubishi Motors; Mitsubishi drivers claim top four positions.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution / Montero Evolution crew of Hiroshi
Masuoka and Andreas Schultz have won the 2003 Telef?nica Dakar Rally
which finished today in Sharm El Sheikh on the east coast of Egypt. The
Japanese/German pairing claimed an incredible 1 hour, 52 minute and 12
second winning margin after 19 days and 5,216 kilometres of competition
in an 8,552 kilometre route that has taken the crews from Marseilles in
France, down to Spain, Tunisia, across Libya and into Egypt. Masuoka's
win represents Mitsubishi's eighth Dakar Rally victory, cementing its
status as the most successful manufacturer in the 25 year history of the
event. This is also Masuoka's second consecutive win and he is also the
first Mitsubishi driver to triumph in the event twice. Co-driver Schultz
also claims a second win in this legendary event, the German taking
honours with former Mitsubishi driver Jutta Kleinschmidt back in 2001.

Winners Hiroshi Masuoka and Andreas Schulz celebrate victory.

Photo by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

After the opening one kilometre stage in Marseilles on New Year's Day
- for which the times do not count in the overall classification -
Mitsubishi Motors drivers led from start to finish, underlining the
Japanese manufacturer's outright superiority in the Dakar Rally and the
world of off-road competition. St?phane Peterhansel reigned supreme for
13 of the remaining 16 legs, while team-mate Hiroshi Masuoka led the
crews for the other three. Mitsubishi Motors' drivers also held the top
five overall positions for four legs (12, 13, 14 and 15).

"I am so very happy to win this 25th Dakar Rally", said a delighted
Masuoka. "This year was a great race; it was fast and there were some
good stages in Tunisia and Libya. It was hard though. Every day we were
doing 160/180 km/h and it was exciting to race against St?phane, but in
the second half we were more careful and reduced our speed to save the
car. I was waiting in case he made a mistake.

"I feel sad for St?phane because he had a good race. One small mistake
was expensive. It was important for Mitsubishi to win and I hope that
this continues. I look forward to competing with St?phane again in the
future.

"The car is fantastic. It was developed last year and finished at
the end of August. Mitsubishi has worked very hard on the suspension
settings. We tested the car for two weeks in Morocco and it showed
potential from the start".

Adding to this comments, co-driver Andreas Schultz said: "For me it was
maybe an easier victory this time. I have now won twice with Mitsubishi
as well. Maybe in 2004, if we can develop the car still further, we can
win again", said the German.

The newly-developed Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution / Montero Evolution
conforms to the Super Production Class inaugurated in 2002 and has been
developed using the vast experience Mitsubishi has gained since its
first entry into the Paris-Dakar Rally back in 1983 and the numerous
rounds of the FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies it has contested.
The car made its debut competitive outing in last November's UAE Desert
Challenge and took a convincing 42 minute victory in the hands of
St?phane Peterhansel. The Pajero Evolution / Montero Evolution has once
again been in a league of it is own in this year's Dakar and victory
represents its second win from second start. This is also the fifth year
Mitsubishi Motors has filled at least the top three winning positions on
the Dakar (1992, 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2003).

In a display of total domination, Mitsubishi drivers also claimed 11
of the 16 official stage victories and took a clean sweep of the top
four positions on the Egyptian shores this morning. The all-French
crew of Jean-Pierre Fontenay and Gilles Picard claimed second in their
classic Pajero / Montero, while team-mates St?phane Peterhansel and
Jean-Paul Cottret dropped from the number one slot to third overall
after heart-wrenching problems in the penultimate leg. Portugal's Carlos
Sousa and Henri Magne finished a fine fourth overall in their Mitsubishi
L200 Strakar. Former and double World Rally Champion "Miki" Biasion,
co-driven by Tiziano Siviero, also suffered agony and ecstasy in the
penultimate leg, dropping them from third overall to 15th.

Hiroshi Masuoka and Andreas Schultz have been on fine form for the
entire 2003 Dakar Rally and although they benefited from Peterhansel's
problems in the penultimate leg, the pairing matched the Frenchman's
pace from the outset, demonstrating the prowess of the Mitsubishi Pajero
Evolution / Montero Evolution. Before Peterhansel slipped to third, the
team-mates were split by less than 26 minutes with nearly two hours in
hand to third position, all the more impressive as they had eased the
pace to conserve their cars. Masuoka, who claims Mitsubishi's eighth
outright victory in the Dakar Rally, had a faultless and mechanically
trouble-free run for the entire 19 days, his only woes a succession of
five punctures over the spectacular but treacherous volcanic terrain
between Sabha and Zilla, in the central Libyan Sahara (Leg 9). In total,
Masuoka notched up four stage victories from the qualifying 16 stages
and was never placed lower than third overall in the entire rally.

Former Dakar winner Jean-Pierre Fontenay, co-driven by fellow Frenchman
Gilles Picard, finished this epic adventure in second position in a
modified version of the 2002 Dakar Rally-winning Pajero / Montero.
The Frenchman, who won for Mitsubishi in 1998, eased into the pace
and suffered nothing more than a puncture up until the fifth leg.
However, the pair dropped to 12th overall when they got bogged down in
sand on the El Borma - Ghadames stage in Tunisia (leg six), the first
run totally off road, over Ergs and classic Dakar sand dunes. Putting
their frustration behind them, the Frenchmen slowly climbed back up
the leaderboard and, despite a heavy landing over a huge Egyptian
dune which damaged the front end of the car, they moved up into third
position after a calculated drive. They too benefited from Peterhansel's
eleventh-hour problems and moved into second position yesterday after
what a shattered Fontenay described as the most difficult stage of the
whole event.

"Gilles and I are obviously happy to take second position", said
Fontenay, "but we would have liked to do this in a different way. We
are disappointed for St?phane and Jean-Paul (Cottret), because they
were driving a perfect race. It has happened before and it will happen
again".

St?phane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret, who had been in the lead
for much of the rally - only briefly handing over the overall command
to Masuoka on leg five - looked assured of victory until a dramatic
turn of events in yesterday's penultimate leg. Despite stopping twice
to check a leaking radiator, Peterhansel managed to hold on to his lead
over Masuoka, but 45 kilometres from the stage finish, as he tried to
overtake one of his rivals, he struck a rock and destroyed the front
left wheel and suspension components in an almost identical incident to
that which cost Masuoka victory on the Dakar in Senegal in 2001. As a
consequence, he lost nearly three hours waiting for his assistance truck
to arrive. Even so, the six-time bike winner claimed six stage victories
and finished in Egypt with his second highest overall positioning in the
car category.

"It is not very easy to understand why these things happen and why I
lost the race", said Peterhansel. "It is only a sport. There are many
things more important, but I will come back with complete motivation.
Maybe there is logic in what happened, because it happened to Hiroshi as
well two years ago. Maybe it will be my turn next year".

Portugal's Carlos Sousa and French co-driver Henri Magne finished the
rally in fourth position and successfully fended off a late challenge
from the South African Giniel de Villiers.

"I'm pleased with fourth because I was fifth twice before", said Sousa.
"My car is much more competitive over the technical stages, like the one
we had on Saturday (Abu Rish - Sharm El Sheikh, leg 16). I was one of
the fastest drivers over the rocky sections. I don't have the top speed
and the gearing of the cars in front and therefore I have no chance of
beating them unless they have problems".

Italy's "Miki" Biasion and co-driver Tiziano Siviero dropped down the
order from third overall to 15th at the end of leg 16, their final
position hardly representative of a fine drive on Biasion's debut
Dakar Rally in a car. Their position fluctuated between sixth and
eighth in the early legs, and even a wheel problem and then time lost
in the rolling plateaus of Murzuk's sand crests in Libya failed to
discourage the Italians. Having climbed to third, they too suffered in
the penultimate leg. After securing his first-ever stage victory in the
Dakar, the gearbox jammed on Biasion's classic Pajero / Montero at the
end of the leg and emergency repairs in a parc ferm? area resulted in a
10 hour penalty. Biasion, who celebrated his 45th birthday during the
event, was holding an impressive third overall in his classic Pajero /
Montero with just one 34 kilometre stage remaining.

"I didn't really sleep last night thinking about the time penalty", said
Biasion. "But it is better to forget the past and look ahead to the
future. I felt that I did a good job for the team and enjoyed working
with such a friendly group of people. The Dakar was harder than I
thought it would be, but I am here at the finish, made no mistakes and
had no accidents. This is the most important thing. St?phane won six
Dakars and has lost his first one in a car. I also feel that I have lost
a top three place, but I have plenty of time in the future".

There was further success for Mitsubishi down the leaderboard. Spanish
off-road champion Jos?-Luis Monterde and co-driver Rafael Tornabell
clinched 10th and were classified as the top privateers in their
Ralliart Pajero / Montero. They also finished second behind Frenchman
Luc Alphand in the Super Production diesel category.

Brazilians Klever Kolberg and Roldan Lourival were 13th and won the
Total Trophy for amateur drivers. "This year I think the Dakar was
quite easy", said Kolberg. "It was a fast Dakar. We had no problems any
day. We just had to service the car to avoid potential problems. Even
the navigation was not too difficult. I prefer the rally when we have
more corners and more work for the drivers, like the last big stage in
Egypt".

Germany's Andrea Mayer made a successful transition from a bike to a car
and was classified 21st in her Mitsubishi Ralliart Pajero / Montero on
her first Dakar on four wheels. "We had a few problems along the way but
I am so happy to reach the end", said Mayer. "I have learned many things
about driving a car on these events, how to prevent problems and how to
drive at a sensible pace. My best times have been in the dunes where my
experience with the bike has helped me to follow the best tracks".

The 2003 Telef?nica Dakar Rally has been yet another classic filled
with drama, excitement, emotional highs and lows in what is always
an event filled with agony and ecstasy for many of the bike, car and
truck competitors. Mitsubishi Motors' drivers have however once again
triumphed in what is regarded as the toughest and most gruelling
motorsport event in the world and the Japanese manufacturer - that has
four victories in hand to the second most successful manufacturers
(Citro?n and Peugeot with four wins apiece) - will be back in 2004 to
defend its title as the most successful manufacturer in the history of
the Dakar Rally.